Bush invites former officials—and war critics—to talk (Powell, Albright..)

[sabra]

http://www.registerguard.com/news/2006/01/04/a2.nat.bushwar.0104.p1.php?section=nation_world

Bush invites former officials — and war critics — to talk

WASHINGTON - It will be an unusual sight on Thursday in the Roosevelt Room of White House: President Bush will engage in a consultation of sorts with a bipartisan collection of former secretaries of state and defense.

Among them will be several who have left little doubt that they think Bush has dangerously mishandled Iraq, ignored other looming crises and put critical alliances at risk.

The meeting was called by the White House, which sent out invitations just before Christmas to everyone who once held those jobs.

The invitees were told that they were being asked to attend a briefing on Iraq and other issues.

Among those planning to attend are Colin L. Powell, Bush's first secretary of state and the administration's best-known and most careful dissident voice, and Madeleine K. Albright, Powell's predecessor.

[BushOut06]

1. IT'S A TRAP!!!!

Maybe Bush is planning on a purge?

[Justitia]

2. They're both hawks, so what's the big deal? Whole lotta nothing. -eom

[Taverner]

3. Now if he had Noam Chomsky that would mean something...

[jillan]

4. Here's another article on this from the NYT

This is amazing. What is he up to???

http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/01/04/news/secretaries.php
WASHINGTON It will be an unusual sight on Thursday in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, and deliberately so: President George W. Bush will engage in a consultation of sorts with a bipartisan collection of former secretaries of state and defense.
-----
other issues. It was unclear, one recipient said, "how interested they are in what we are thinking."

[MiniMe]

5. He's calling in to tell them to shut up and stop criticizing him nt

[blm]

6. HAHAH...exactly what Kerry told him he needed to do - Discuss ALL avenues

and especially those who want to see the road OUT OF Iraq.

[Maine-ah]

7. ditto, that's what I was thinking.

[blm]

10. Bush will do exactly what he wants anyway - No doubt this is for cover,

to combat his blatant partisanship and stubborn behavior for his mediwhores.

[gratuitous]

8. Window dressing

Stupidhead hasn't been exactly the model for consensus building, and anyone that attends this little soiree will be painted as a supporter of whatever hare-brained scheme is coming next. The Mighty Republican Wurlitzer will note that Bush met with all these former officials, and now he's announcing his Next Big Thing. The implication (if not said outright) will be that Bush "fully briefed" the crowd on what he was hatching, and they all agreed that it was the greatest idear ever. Splunge!

[daleo]

9. Powell is or was a dissident?

It is to laugh.

[Marnieworld]

11. He was so dissenting at the UN.

Holding up that lil vile of powder, playing for the cameras, showing drawings of possible scary stuff because they did not have real photos to make their case. Yep. He couldn't stop objecting to the policy it's amazing it happened. By the way :sarcasm:

[jazzjunkysue]

18. yeah. The devil made him do it.

:nopity:

[Marnieworld]

12. delete dupe

I swear something is wrong with my touchpad today.

[thebigidea]

15. a bootlicking, water-carrying dissident.

apparently, expressing a few careful words of regret in private while serving your masters in public and then offering to continue to do so after they fire you is enough to be a dissident.

[HuffleClaw]

13. sounds damned odd to me

he'll bluster and blow i suppose, and likely tell 'em all about the GROWING threat of iran and DEMAND their support in a soon to be announced action.

[cliss]

21. Yeah, that's what I think

He'll call them in there and DEMAND that they get with the program. The Bush program, that is.

No dissent allowed.

[MichiganVote]

14. Read all about it: The Blind Now Lead the Blind

[Rebellious Republican]

16. His whole fucking world is caving in around him..............

This is just smoke and mirrors, a last resort if you will, to stem the tide that is about to crash down upon his arrogant little pea brain. He must be getting desperate, good, this is very good, I think. As Ye Sow, So Shall Ye Reap!

FUCK YOU GEORGE!!!!

[Hotler]

22. That's a cool picture. has that special way of..

saying "IN YOUR FACE".

[Rebellious Republican]

25. Thanks, Hotler.....

just my subtle nature. :evilgrin:

[RamboLiberal]

17. Other Issues - I'm betting he's trying to line up their support

for his upcoming attack on Iran.

I think that's the sole purpose of this mysterious confab.

[jazzjunkysue]

19. No way! He's...., he's not acting presidential, is he??!! Egads!!!

I just knew the sky was falling.:nopity:

[lovuian]

20. He needs HELP!!!

his defense aides suck!!!

[rodeodance]

23. it is an admission that Bush/WH need help and deperately!!

[oioioi]

24. groundwork for Cheney resignation?

"Bipartisan" Lieberman appointment imminent?

[leftchick]

26. EX-U.S. Secretaries, Bush to Discuss Iraq

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060105/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush

WASHINGTON - President Bush is pressing ahead with a public relations offensive on Iraq, bringing a bipartisan group of former secretaries of defense and state to the White House for give-and-take on the unpopular military mission.

Gen. George Casey, the top American commander in Iraq, and Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. ambassador in Baghdad, were joining the president Thursday to give a detailed briefing on Iraq to more than a dozen foreign policy leaders from previous administrations.

The hope was that the prominent figures would be persuaded by the Bush administration's argument that it has "a clear plan in place for victory in Iraq" and spread the word, said White House press secretary Scott McClellan.

Still, the White House has been criticized for taking in too few outside opinions, so the session wasn't designed for administration officials to do all the talking. The meeting in the White House's Roosevelt Room, also being attended by current Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, was intended to draw input from their predecessors — some of whom have publicly disagreed with Bush, McClellan said.

"It's part of our effort to broaden our outreach," he said. "This is an opportunity to hear from key members of previous administrations — Democrats and Republicans alike."

[Buns_of_Fire]

27. "Help," he sniffed. "I got my weenie caught in the wringer."

Got news for you, : the time for "give-and-take" was BEFORE you got us entangled in this.

As if he intends to listen to any dissenting opinon, anyway. Putz.

[opihimoimoi]

28. Yup. Too Little ...TOOOOO Late.... Bush Trying to clean up the Act

[Dr Batsen D Belfry]

29. Bullshit

This is a CYA for the outing of the spy programs at NSA and DIA

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2022128

DBDB

[Chiyo-chichi]

30. EVERYBODY who was invited

is already on board!

Madeline Albright has profited mightily through the Albright Group and the Iraq Debt Recovery Consortiium. Former Secretaries of Defense Wm. Cohen and Wm. Perry have not exactly been outspoken in opposition to Bush's Iraq policies.

The ONLY former Sec. of St. who HAS publicly opposed * on Iraq is Warren Christopher, and guess what? HE'S NOT THERE!!!!